Dispensers for spring retaining rings



18, 1959 H. ERDMANN 2,900,107

DISPENSERS FOR SPRING RETAINING RINGS Filed June 18, 1957 '4 Sheets-Sheet 1 I I F);

} INVENTOR 42 HANS ERDMANN ATTORNEY Aug. 18, 1959 H. ERDMANN 2,900,107

DISPENSERS FOR SPRING RETAINING RINGS Filed June 18, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 6

INVENTOR HANS ERDMANN BY%W ATTORNEY Aug. 18, 1959 H. ERDMANN 2,900,107

DISPENSERS FOR SPRING RETAINING RINGS Filed June 18, 1957 4Sheets-Sheet 3 4 a 20 Fl 6. l0

HANS ERDMANN BY M ATTORNEY Aug. 18, 1959 H. ERDMANN 2,900,107

DISPENSERS FOR SPRING RETAINING RINGS Filed June 18, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 VII INVENTOR HANS ERDMANN ATTORNEY United Statfi fiqcee Patented Aug. 18, 1959 DISPENSERS FOR SPRING RETAINING RINGS Hans Erdmann, Maplewood, N.J., assignor to Waldes Kohinoor, Inc., Long Island City, N.Y., a corporation of New York Application June 18, 1957, Serial No. 666,397

8 Claims. (Cl. 221220) This invention relates to improvements in dispensers and in dispenser-applying tool combinations for spring retaining rings, and more particularly to a dispenser for dispensing open retaining rings of the type disclosed and claimed in patent to Wurzel No. 2,755,698, dated July 24, 1956, including a tool for use therewith in effecting a ring dispensing operation and for applying the ring being dispensed to a grooved shaft and the like.

Retaining ring dispensers according to my prior Patent No. 2,712,398, dated July 5, 1955, which are featured by a flexible stack rod for maintaining a plurality of the open retaining rings to be dispensed in a vertical stack or column and being aflixed at its upper end only to a suitable bracket-type support whereby its lower end may flex to an inactive or non-interfering position with respect to the lowermost ring of the ring stack as said lowermost ring is being engaged by a suitable ring gripping and applying tool, also known as the applicator, have recently come into wide use since such a dispenser provides a convenient, readily accessible supply of such rings. However, while functioning in highly satisfactory manner as a dispenser for plane and simple bowed rings, the aforesaid dispenser is not suited to the dispensing of open rings constructed according to the aforesaid Wurzel Patent No. 2,755,698, for the reason that such a ring, in addition to being bowed about its vertical center line (the center-line of the ring which traverses its middle section and the gap between its open ends), is also provided at the approximate junctions of the ends of its arcuate inner edge and the inner ends of the gap edges with locking prongs which project a substantial distance from the convex face of the rings so as, when the ring is seated in its groove, to lockingly bear against the periphery of the shaft just forwardly of the groove, thereby serving to prevent the ring from jumping or being driven from its groove when it is subjected to a radially applied force of appreciable magnitude. Accordingly, even a special tool according to Wurzel application Serial No. 534,263, filed September 14, 1955, now Patent No. 2,835,028, dated May 20, 1958 for gripping and thereupon with drawing the lowermost ring of a plurality of simple bowed open rings held in stack formation in a dispenser as aforesaid in nowise renders said dispenser effective to dispense the pronged bowed rings, for the reason that,

when such rings are stacked with their gaps facing rearwardly or away from the tool and with their locking prongs pointed upwardly (which is a practical necessity), the prongs of each lower ring project upwardly into the opening of the next higher ring, thus making it impossible to withdraw the lower ring without its prongs catching on the higher ring.

Stated broadly, a main object of the present invention is the provision of a dispenser for bowed rings provided with locking prongs according to the aforesaid Wurzel Patent No. 2,755,698, whose construction and arrangement are such as to make possible the dispensing of such pensing operation being impeded in any way by the locking prongs of each lower ring catching on the ring im mediately above it.

More particularly, an object of the invention is the provision of a retaining ring dispenser whose construction makes it possible that the column of rings immediately above the lowermost ring being gripped by a ring gripping and applying (applicator) tool is bodily raised out of contact with said lowermost ring, responsively to the tool being pressed into gripping engagement with said lowermost ring.

Yet a further object of the invention is the provision of a retaining ring dispenser embodying the principles of the ring dispenser disclosed and claimed in my prior Patent No. 2,712,398 aforesaid, but which is further so constructed and arranged that movement of the applicator tool into gripping engagement with the lowermost ring of the stack or column thereof maintained on the flexible stack rod characterizing such a dispenser automatically causes the next higher ring of the stack thereof to ride up an incline or chamfer, whereby said next higher ring (and all rings supported thereon) are lifted from the gripped lowermost ring by an amount as enables its locking prongs thereof to clear said next higher ring during withdrawal of said lowermost ring.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a retaining ring dispenser of the general type shown in my prior Patent No. 2,712,398, but which additionally incorporates means for lifting the rings above the lowermost ring of the stack thereof on the dispenser stack-rod responsively to the next few rings above said lowermost ring being pushed rearwardly by the applicator tool as the latter grips said lowermost ring, thereby achieving upward axial movement as well as horizontal movement of the rings immediately above the lowermost gripped ring, as enables the gripped ring effectively to clear the next higher ring of the stack in its wihtdrawing move ment.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of an applicator tool for use with a dispenser as last stated, whose construction is such as to assist in achieving axial upward movement of the rings disposed above the lowermost ring as the latter is gripped by said applicator tool.

The above and other objects and advantages of a retaining ring dispenser according to the present invention will appear from the following detailed description thereof, in which reference is had to the accompanying drawings illustrating preferred and variant embodiments thereof, wherein Fig. 1 is a front view, and Fig. 2 a side view partly in section, of a retaining ring dispenser according to the invention;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a bowed open retaining ring having locking prongs for the dispensing of which the present dispenser was especially designed;

Fig. 4 is a section through the dispenser stack rod on line 4-4 of Fig. 1 and also showing a retaining ring of the type shown in Fig. 3 held thereon;

Fig. 5 is a more or less diagrammatic view illustrating a separable stack-rod extension part carrying an extra supply of retaining rings;

Figs. 6-9 are front-to-rear sectional views taken through the lower end of the dispenser and the working end of the applicator tool, which illustrate four succes sive stages of a ring being gripped and withdrawn from the dispenser by said tool;

Fig. 6A is a perspective view showing the detailed con struction of the ring-stack supporting means; and

Fig. 10-13 are views corresponding to Figs. 6-9, respectively, but illustrating a somewhat modified form of dispenser and applicator tool.

rately position the ring on the stack rod. 'the ring R is also provided on opposite sides of its outer Referring to the drawings, Fig. 3 illustrates an open retaining ring R of the type generally disclosed and claimed in the aforesaid Wurzel Patent No. 2,755,698, such a ring having a wide gap 11 between its open ends '12, .13 as characterizes the open retaining ring, being bowed about its vertical center line X-X so that it has concavo-convex shape, and it is moreover provided with locking prongs 114, 15 which extend upwardly from the convex face of the ring at approximately the junctions periphery with co-planar side wings 18, 19 which serve -to stabilize the ring when it rests on a fiat surface, with its convex face upwardly disposed. At this point, it will be clear that when a plurality of rings constructed and turned with their convex faces upwardly arranged as in Fig. 3 are disposed in stack or column formation, the

locking projections 14, 15 of each lower ring will extend upwardly into the plane of the next higher ring by an amount such that each said lower ring cannot be horizontally withdrawn without its withdrawal being impeded by the next higher ring. For this reason a. retaining ring dispenser of the type adapted to dispense plane and simple bowed retaining rings according to my prior Patent No. 2,713,398 is not at all suited to the dispensing of rings R as described above.

According to the present invention, this difliculty is overcome by a ring dispenser operating on the principles of that disclosed in my prior patent aforesaid but which additionally takes into account and makes provision for the aforesaid dispensing-impeding action of the locking prongs 14, 15. Similarly to my patented dispenser, the present dispenser incorporates a stack rod 20 (Fig. 2) in the form of a leaf spring affixed at its upper end only to an upright bracket 21, which in turn is secured by means of its horizontal foot flange 21a to a rectangular block 22 extending upwardly from a base 23, which latter may be bolted as by bolts 24 to a bench or table. Preferably, the stack rod 20 has a separable upper-end extension part 25 adapted to carry an extra supply of the retaining rings R, R etc., this separable part efifectively increasing the length of the stack rod 20 when cooperated with its upper end and fastened thereto, as by being pushed into the small gap between the upper terminal end of the stack rod proper and the bracket 21 and hooked to the hooks 26a, 26b extending from the upper-end edge of said bracket, it being noted that the lower end of the separable stack rod part 25 is provided with openings 27a, 27b for said hooks.

The lower end of the stack rod 20 terminates a predetermined short distance above the upper surface of a ring-stack support part 28 (Fig. 6A) mounted to the upper face of the block 22, which upper surface has a central arched portion giving said surface contour complemental to the under face configuration of the rings R, R R etc. Thus, the lowermost ring of a stack thereof positioned by the stack rod 26 rests directly and freely on the upper convex surface of the support part 28, being moreover stabilized by the support that the ring side-wings 18, 19 receive from the horizontal portions of the support surfaces which are disposed to the sides of its central arched portion, and the higher rings of the stack normally rest on said lowermost ring. As seen in Fig. 4, the stack rod 20 has transverse section providing a semi circular portion 29 closely corresponding to the ring opening and side flanges 30, 31 projecting therefrom adapted to project into the aforesaid side notches 16, 17 'of the ring, such sectioning of the stack rod serving to maintain the plurality of retaining rings R, R thereon in exactly aligned position.

An applicator, i.e. a ring gripping and handling tool, for operating a dispenser of the invention is generally illustrated in Fig. 2 and is further shown in longitudinal section and on an enlarged scale in Figs. 6 et seq. Such atool, which is preferably of the type disclosed and claimed in the aforesaid Wurzel Patent No. 2,835,028 comprises essentially a blade 32, the working end 33 of which is bent at an obtuse angle to the blade proper so as to facilitate handling and manipulation of the applicator. The free end edge of the blade is interrupted by a generally semi-circular recess 34 of diameter slightly greater than that of the shaft in which the rings R are to be assembled, the recess thus shaping the working end as two spaced arms 33a, 33b terminating in end edges 33x. The relative under face of the working end 33 is thinned or undercut so as to provide a ring recess 35 which extends along and is set back from the recess 34, and a ring received in said ring recess 35 is adapted to be held to the bottom thereof by the free end of a leaf spring 36 whose other end is secured to the blade proper as by a rivet 37. It will be observed that the thinned edge portion 38 in which the aforesaid semi-circular recess 34 is formed in elfect provides an upper backing flange for a ring R held in the ring recess 35 by the leaf spring 36, and, by design and as seen in Fig. 6, the thick- R etc.

'ness of this backing flange, and hence of the tool end edges 33x, approximates the total thickness of two of the rings R, R R etc.

Referring also to Fig. l, the dispenser base 22 mounts on its top surface a tool guide-plate 40 disposed forwardly of the support part 28 and being provided with a frontto-rear channel 41, the bottom wall of which has a narrower channel 42 cut therein. The side walls of the channel 41 are spaced from each other slightly more than the width of the working end of the aforesaid applicator tool 32, whereas the narrower channel 42 has width and depth as to accommodate the leaf spring 36 disposed on the under face of the tool blade 33. Hence, the tool is well guided as it is forcefully pushed toward the ring stack, as is necessary for the tool to grip the lowermost ring of the stack thereof positioned on the stack rod 20. As indicated in Fig. 6 et seq., the bottom wall portions of the aforesaid channel 41 lying to the sides of the bottom wall of the narrower channel 42 slope downwardly as at 41a to the level of the horizontal side portions of the support member 28 on which the side wings 18, 19 of the lowermost ring R (see Fig. 3) of the ring stack normally rests.

Extending from the upwardly convex surface of the ring stack support part 28 is an integral nose-like formation 45 having a flat top surface and a forward end which is stepped back from the front end of said support part, thereby to define a stop shoulder 46 which is surved corresponding to the curvature of the inner edge of the rings R and has height corresponding to the axial thickness of one of said rings. As best seen in Fig. 7, the stop shoulder 46 is adapted to be abutted by the middle inner edge of the lowermost ring of a stack thereof resting on the support part 28 upon said ring tending to move rearwardly. Above the stop shoulder, the forward edge of the nose is chamfered as at 47 and, as seen in Fig. 6, the vertical height of the chamfer preferably equals the axial thickness of one ring. Also mounted to the top surface of the base 22 and disposed immediately to the rear of the support part 28 is a ring-supporting plate 48 whose upper surface may be horizontal and is flush with the flat top surface of the aforesaid nose part 45. As best seen in Figs. 6 and 6A, the front upper corner of the rear plate is chamfered as at 49, the resulting chamfer being parallel to the aforesaid chamfer 47.

The four principal stages of a ring gripping and dispensing operation using a dispenser according to the present invention and an applicator tool according to the Figs. 6-9inclusive. In Fig. 6 the applicator 32 is assumed to be positioned in the channel 41 of the front plate 40 and moving rearwardly toward the stack of rings R R etc. positioned by the dispenser stack rod 20 with theirgaps ,11 disposed rearwardly, of which the lowermost ring R is directly supported on the convex upper surface of the support part 28, and all higher rings R R etc. are supported on said lowermost ring. It will also be understood that said lowermost ring R is horizontallyaligned with the ring stop shoulder 46 and the next higher ring R is horizontal-1y aligned with the chamfers 47 and 49 of the support part '28 and the rearward plate 48, respectively. Also to be noted is that the lower end of the stack rod 18 terminates just short of the flat top surface-of the nose part 45 as formed on the support part 28, whereby thestack rod may flex rearwardly with respect to said nose part, and similarly with respect to the lowermost ring R resting on the support part 28. As to applicator tool position, it will be understood that the tool is held against lateral movement by the side walls of the channel 41 and is in effect supported on the bottom wall of the deeper channel 42 since the leaf spring 36 rides thereon. Also to .be observed is that the end edges 33x of the applicator tool arms 33a, 3312 are horizontally aligned with the second and third lowermost rings R and R of the ring stack positioned by the stack rod 20 and also that the ring recess 35 of the tool is horizontally aligned with the lowermost ring R of the ring stack.

Referring to Fig. 7, such illustrates that continuing movement of the applicator tool towards the ring stack has forced the end edges 33x of the tool arms against the outer periphery of at least the lower of the second and third lowermost ring R and R resulting in said rings having moved rearwardly, responsively to which ring R has ridden up the aforesaid chamfers '47 and 49 and has begun to push against the 'lower free end of the stack rod 20, the latter in turn causing the stack rod to flex rearwardly as shown in Fig. 8. As further seen in the latter View, final push movement of the applicator tool results in reception of the lowermost ring R of the stack in the ring recess 35 of the toolwherein it is firmly held by the spring 36, the stop shoulder 46 of the nose part 45 serving to hold said lowermost ring R against rearward movement as the applicator tool grippingly embraces same. 7

Final movement of the applicator tool also pushesthe now raised ring R and all rings of the stack above same rearwardly on to the top horizontal surface of the rear plate 48, as is permitted by the flexibilityof the stack rod. Accordingly, even though the locking prongs 14, 15 of the lowermost ring R initially projected upwardly into the plane of the next higher ring R of the stack thereof, the upward movement imparted said ring R i and all rings above same has the effect of clearing the "lowermost ring R for. withdrawal movement, without its withdrawal movement being impeded by engagement of its locking prongs with the ring R Accordingly, the applicator blade 32 may now be withdrawn from the dispenser with full assurance that the ring R gripped in the tool ring recess is cleared for removal also. Upon the tool withdrawing from the next higher ring R of the stack, the stack rod 20 of course returns to its initial position shown in Fig. 6, whereupon said ring R lowers to the position previously occupied by ring R, i.e. in horizontal alignment with the ring stop 46. It will also be understood from Fig. 9 that as the ring R partakes of its withdrawal movement with the applicator tool, its side wings 18, 19 ride up the inclined bottom wall portions 41a of the channel 41 and thereby lift the applicator from the floor of the channel 41.

According to another embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1013 inclusive, the aforesaid rear plate 48 and its chamfer 49 are eliminated and the end second lowermost ring R are instead chamfered or inclined as at 33y, such chamfer being opposite to the chamfer 47a of the nose part 45a provided on the support part 28a (corresponding to the nose part 45 and support part 28 of the previously described modification). Also to be observed is that to provide ring-stack support upon rearward flexing of the stack rod 20, the support part 28a and nose part 45a are extended rearwardly so as to lie beneath the flexed stack rod. Optionally, the upper horizontal surface of the nose part 45a is formed in its rearward portion with a stop shoulder 5011 serving as a stop for limiting the rearward movement of the ring stack as the latter moves rearwardly with the stack rod 20. Another variant in the modification being described from the prior described embodiment resides in the feature of the stop shoulder 46a (corresponding to the stop shoulder 46 of the prior described embodiment) being set back from the chamfer 47a, as results in said shoulder being in elfect undercut into the forward end of the nose part 45a. Since the chamfer 47a overhangs the shoulder 46a, the lowermost ring R of the stack is always effectively secured against any tendency to lift or become displaced from the position which it is intended to assume for smooth and certain withdrawal.

While it is believed that the operation of the dispenser and tool embodiment illustrated in Figs. 10-13 will be clear from the above, it is briefly described as follows: As the tool is pushed toward the ring stack positioned in the dispenser by the stack rod20, the end edges 33y of the applicator arms 33a, 33b push against the second lowermost ring R as heretofore. Consequent to the chamfer of said end edges, they tend to knife in under saidring R (such action being illustrated in Fig. 11) and to simultaneously push said ring against the chamfer 47a of the support part 2811. Thus, final movement of the applicator tool toward the ring stack bodily lifts the ring R upwardly of the lowermost ring R and then moves said ring R and all higher rings rearwardly over the top surface of the nose part 45a, as is shown in Fig. 12. Final push movement of the applicator tool also results in the latter grippingly receiving the lowermost ring R of the ring stack which is held against movement by the stop shoulder 46a. To complete the dispensing operation, the applicator tool is withdrawn, carrying with it the gripped ring R, whereupon the stack rod 20 returns to its initial position and the ring stack lowers the thickness of said ring R on to the support part 28a, whereupon the dispenser is in condition for the next dispensing operation.

Without further analysis, it will be manifest that a retaining ring dispenser as described and illustrated satisfies the objectives of the invention as explained in the foregoing. However, it is to be understood that many changes could be made in carrying out the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, and it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A dispenser for dispensing bowed open retaining rings having locking prongs projecting from the convex face thereof and being operable by a ring gripping and withdrawing tool including a blade-like member having a substantially semi-circular ring recess in its end edge which is defined on one side by a semicircular ring backing flange and spring means affixed to said blade member rearwardly of its recess for resiliently securing a ring received therein to said backing flange, comprising a base having on its upper surface a support part for supporting a plurality of the rings to be dispensed arranged with their convex faces upwardly disposed and their openings rearwardly disposed, a substantially vertically disposed flexible stack rod for normally maintaining said rings in vertical stack formation on said support part,

'7 means supporting said stack rod from the base in such manner that its lower end may flex rearwardly of the support part and of the lowermost ring of a stack thereof directly supported thereon, means on said base for guiding a tool as aforesaid faced with its backing flange upwardly disposed and positioned at a level such that the ring recess of said tool is disposed in horizontal alignment with said lowermost ring toward said stack rod and ring stack thereon, means providing an abutment for maintaining said lowermost ring of the stack stationary against the thrust of the tool moving against same, and means responsive to movement of said tool toward the stack rod to grippingly receive said lowermost ring of the stack in its recess for effecting limited rearward shift of the next higher rings of the stack as is permitted by the flexibility of the lower end of the stack rod and simultaneously therewith forpositively lifting said next higher ring and thereby rings of the stack disposed above same by an amount such that said lowermost ring may be withdrawn :by the tool without its withdrawal movement being impeded by engagement of its upwardly directed locking prongs with said next higher ring.

2. A dispenser substantially as set forth in claim 1, wherein the means for lifting the next higher ring of the stack comprises chamfered faces up which said next higher ring is pushed in upward direction as it is shifted rearwardly as aforesaid.

3. A dispenser substantially as set forth in claim 1, wherein the ring abutment means comprises a ring shoulder on the support part positioned so as to be engaged by the inner edge of said lowermost ring of the stack thereof.

4. A dispenser substantially as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the ring abutment means comprises a shoulder on the support part positioned for engagement by the inner rings as it shifts rearwardly, and said support part and said member are each provided with a chamfered face as aforesaid.

6. A dispenser substantially as set forth in claim 1, wherein said support part has an upwardly convex face portion complemental to the under face of the lowermost ring supported thereon and said convex face portion is formed with a nose-like portion whose forward edge is set back from the forward edge of said support part and is curved corresponding to the curvature of the inner edge of said ring thereby to form the aforesaid ring abut- 'ment means, and a ring supporting member is disposed rearwardly of said support part, and wherein said means for lifting the next higher ring of the stack comprises chamfered faces formed, respectively; on said nose formation and on the upper forward corner of said ring supporting member. j

7. The combination of a dispenser for dispensing bowed open retaining rings of the type having locking prongs extending from the convex face thereof and a ring gripping and withdrawing tool for gripping the lowermost ring of a plurality of such rings maintained in stack formation in the dispenser and withdrawing it therefrom, said dispenser comprising a base having on its upper surface a support part for supporting the plurality of rings to be dispensed arranged with their convex faces upwardly disposed and their openings rearwardly disposed, a substantially vertically disposed flexible stack rod for normally maintaining said rings in vertical stack formation on said support part, means supportingthe stack rod from the base in such manner and at a level such that its lower end is spaced a predetermined distance above said support part and may flex rearwardly both of said support part and of the lowermost ring of a stack thereof directly supported on said support part, said tool comprising a blade-like member having a substantially semi-circular recess provided in its end edge and being defined on one side by a semi-circular backing flange and including spring means mounted on said blade for resiliently cl-asping a ring received in said recess to said flange, said dispenser base being provided with means for guiding said tool faced so that its backing flange is upwardly disposed and at a level such that its ring recess is disposed in horizontal alignment with the lowermost ring of the stack towards said stack rod and ring stack thereon, said support part including means providing an abutment for maintaining said lowermost ring of the stack stationary against the thrust of the tool moving thereagainst, and

means responsive to movement of the tool through the guide means toward the ring stack for shifting the ring next above the lowermost ring of the stack rearwardly of said lowermost ring and simultaneously therewith raising said next above ring above the upwardly directed locking prongs of said lowermost ring as is necessary to the withdrawal of the latter, said means including oppositely chamfered surfaces on the free end edge of the References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 285,439 Smith Sept. 25, 1883 2,009,751 Stenman July 30, 1935 2,712,398

Erdmann July 5, 1955 

